Search:the vision

Indian Summer of Love finds The Bongolian immersed in a new set of sounds and influences for a new Belle Epoch. It’s a musical landscape informed by the Sixties psychedelia of India via a Haight Ashbury happening.

It’s a kaleidoscopic vision that takes us from a 20th century Fin de Siècle and lands us in the here and now of the 21st Century. It’s for dancers, for seekers and is all underscored by The Bongolian’s trademark heavy rhythms and breaks. It’s another fine instalment of essential cuts for the dancefloor and for high fidelity listening, quality is guaranteed.

From the East to the West, welcome to the Indian Summer of Love. Nasser Bouzida performs drums, percussion, guitars and keys whilst the album features several new flavours to the Bongolian sound with the prominent instrumentation of sitars and bansuri, along with flute, trumpet, saxophone and trombone performances from several stellular international guest musicians.

dxrvo, hailing from Hannover, Germany, has made a name for himself in the electronic music scene by creating hypnotic, minimalist, and atmospheric techno sets. His music takes the dance floor on a captivating journey, characterized by driving beats, rhythmic basslines and repetitive sounds. With performances at renowned venues such as Tresor Berlin, PAL Hamburg, Doka Amsterdam, Watergate Berlin, and Terminal Lyon, he showcases his presence in theinternational techno landscape. As a founder of the Kollektiv Synergie, dxrvo is committed to inclusive events and the promotion of diverse artists. His production skills are evidenced by successful releases on labels like SYXT, Room Trax, Modern Minimal, and NYXII. More than just a DJ, dxrvo is an architect of sonic experiences, continuously redefining the boundaries of electronic music.


Linear Phase
With a two-decade career in music production, Carlos, better known as Linear Phase, has become an established artist in the global techno scene. His eclectic sound proposal, ranging from ambient / drone, through minimal / deep / hypnotic, to raw techno, has earned him the recognition of both critics and the public. His prolific career is reflected in the more than 50 releases under his belt in the last 5 years on several internationally renowned labels such as Molecular, Planet Rhythm, Newrhytmic, Drumcode LTD or Edit Select, to name a few, thus consolidating his presence in the global scene. His 5 years of experience in the world of modular eurorack has allowed him to develop a unique and personal sound, characterized by its depth, textures and enveloping atmospheres. In addition to his role as a producer, Linear Phase is co-creator of the Barcelona Modular Society, a space dedicated to the exploration and dissemination of experimental electronic music. Linear Phase is currently developing the creation of both its own label and its new studio, which will become a creative hub oriented to host all kinds of activities related to techno production. This space will feature the participation of renowned national and international producers, consolidating his commitment to the scene and his vision for the future.

Innmenal
Innmenal is a DJ and producer from Pinamar, Argentina. Resident from FAS Producciones he focuses into hypnotic sounds and chaotic rhythms. He has been playing across the Argentinian coastline spreading his sounds characteristics. With continous work and dedication Innmenal's tracks can be found in labels such as Concepto Hipnotico, Apical Records and Diffuse Reality. His first album called Metatron's Cube was released this year on the Diffuse Reality's Label. Another album is planned over this year along other releases on other labels. His last track Winds Of change was released on the label Modern Minimal with some support coming from Rødhad, Svreca, Developer, Richie Hawtin, Slam, Justine Perry, Arnaud Le Texier, Distant Echoes, Dax J, Hugo Rolan and more. He has shared the decks with Mariano DC doing warm up during last year. With more than 10 years behind the decks he's still digging into the deep hypnotic sounds with some agressive percussions to give the listener a journey through his cosmic sounds. So far Innmenal has been active in various labels like Diffuse Reality, Modern Minimal, KPLR, Space Travel, Rowan Underground and Habitat Musical.

Qaypz
Qaypz is a DJ and producer hailing from Arlon, Belgium. As a child of the 90s dance music era, his journey into electronic music began in 2000, ignited by his first I Love Techno Festival experience in Belgium and the underground rave scene that was thriving in his hometown Liège, where Jungle and D'n'B from UK were dominating. This era made Qaypz start mixing on turntables and embracing vinyl culture in 2003. Today, he's versatile, seamlessly transitioning between turntables, CDJs and DAW-based setups, incorporating hardware and controllers for a hybrid mix performance style. In his early years, he organized local rave parties and later moved to Eupen, the capital of East Belgium, where he founded the collective Krank'm'Haus. Qaypz's passion for underground sounds is evident in his productions. He crafts dark, industrial tracks characterized by powerful kicks, somber melodies and a driving rhythm. His performances have graced notable locations such as The Ground Club in Luxembourg, The Liquid Club in Malta and The Kulturzentrum Alterschlachthof in Eupen as well as underground events like La Nature, Eupen Musik Marathon Festivals in East Belgium and the Rummelstilzchen’s illegal rave party in Berlin-Rummelsburg just before the building demolition the day after. Qaypz is currently focusing on his label development and continue producing and mainly releasing his music on Krank'm'Haus Records.

Up next on Brooklyn's Scissor & Thread is the latest EP from Snad, aka Shyam Anand (also known as Spandrel), the Berlin-based artist whose discography already spans labels like Smallville, Minibar, 20:20 Vision, Phonica AM, TerraFirm, Running Back, Cabinet, Kimochi and Dungeon Meat with remixes for names including Seafoam and Chez Damier.
A trusted selector and producer in the underground, Snad has steadily built a reputation for deeply considered productions that balance classic inspiration with his own forward-thinking edge.
The AM Yard EP opens with its title track, a warm, hazy cut rooted in the kind of bassline architecture that recalls Chez n Trent's Morning Factory but reshaped with Snad's signature dreamlike touch.
Anticip8 fanchors the release with a more direct energy, rolling, insistent and focused on the floor, balancing stripped-down drive of dusty samples wrung through his digitakt with just enough harmonic flourish to pull the listener inward.
On the flip, The Pursuit follows in a slightly different mode, drawing on experimental vocoder techniques and filtered percussion creating a hypnotic push-and-pull that feels as intricate as it is understated.
Rounding things out, label heads Francis Harris and Anthony Collins, under their Frank & Tony alias, reimagine The Pursuit with their Housebeat Remix, extending its atmospherics into an even deeper headspace that glides effortlessly into late-night territory.

Clear Vinyl. Mit ihrem Debüt The Empty Space Between A Seamount And Shock Headed Julia hinterließen The Black Cat's Eye 2023 ein bemerkenswertes Echo in der Szene - ein energetisches und atmosphärisches Werk, das Psychedelic- und Postrock-Elemente auf einzigartige Weise vereinte und schnell vergriffen war. Nun, zweieinhalb Jahre später, präsentiert das Frankfurter Quintett sein neues Album Decrypting Dreams Of Weird Animals And Strange Objects. Auch diesmal lotet die Band die Grenzbereiche zwischen Psychedelic-, Kraut- und Post-Rock aus. Die Musik oszilliert zwischen hypnotischem Drive, verträumten Gitarrenflächen und dynamischen Spannungsbögen. Das Album umfasst sechs Songs, deren Spannweite von fünf- bis zehnminütigen Klangreisen reicht. Neu ist, dass diesmal zwei Bandmitglieder Kompositionen beisteuerten: Neben Gitarrist und Bandgründer Christian Blaser stammt die Hälfte des Materials von Bassist Jens Cappel. Sein kraftvoller, direkter Stil ergänzt Blasers atmosphärischen Ansatz ideal. Blaser: ,Auf dem Debütalbum stammten alle Stücke von mir. Als Gründer der Band lag mein Fokus zunächst darauf, eine musikalische Vision und Richtung vorzugeben. Jens war zu diesem Zeitpunkt noch nicht so in die kreativen Prozesse eingebunden, obwohl er ein außerordentlich talentierter und umtriebiger Musiker ist. Er veröffentlicht regelmäßig großartige neue Musik auf den Bandcamp-Seiten seiner eigenen Projekte, zum Beispiel The Black Black Paint. Als es dann an das Schreiben neuer Songs für das zweite Album ging, brachte Jens einige wirklich tolle Demos mit ein." Stilistisch verbindet das Album, wie schon der Vorgänger, klassische 70er-Einflüsse mit zeitgenössischer Rockmusik - man hört Anklänge an Can, Motorpsycho, Neu!, Indie- und Stonerrock, aber auch an David Gilmours Gitarrenästhetik. Die Musik ist instrumental, einzig im finalen Stück ,The Magic Balloon" übernimmt Jens Cappel den Gesang. Ähnlich rätselhaft wie bei der ersten Platte klingt der Albumtitel: Decrypting Dreams Of Weird Animals And Strange Objects. Blaser erklärt: ,Der Titel ist inspiriert von einem faszinierenden Aspekt der US-amerikanischen TV-Serie Westworld. Dort werden humanoiden Robotern Gefühle und Träume einprogrammiert. Doch weil diese Androiden dadurch immer menschlicher werden, geraten sie außer Kontrolle - die Programmierer suchen daraufhin den Fehler in den von ihnen geschriebenen Quellcodes, analysieren die künstlichen Gefühle, Gedanken und Träume mithilfe ihrer Computerprogramme. Übertragen auf unsere Realität ist der Titel durchaus ironisch gemeint. Unsere moderne Technik vermittelt den Eindruck, wir könnten jeden Bereich unseres Lebens vollständig steuern. Selbstoptimierung und die Kapitalisierung des eigenen Ichs werden zum obersten Prinzip. Eine trügerische Illusion, denn wir sind nur winzige Teile eines größeren, für uns unergründlichen Ganzen. Vor diesem Hintergrund stellt sich die Frage: Was kann Kunst zu unserer Wahrnehmung der Welt beitragen? Welche Bedeutung hat es, sich mit musikalischen Mitteln auszudrücken? Durch Technik, Mathematik, Physik und reine Vernunft kommen wir dem Wunder des Lebens und dem Sinn unserer Existenz nicht wirklich näher. Was uns bleibt, ist das Ritual, die Beschwörung, die Ekstase. Musik, Tanz, Malerei, Geschichten - sie offenbaren für kurze Momente den wahren Kern des Lebens, richten unser Verhältnis dazu neu aus und verbinden uns mit dem Universum." Aufgenommen hat die Band wieder im Tonstudio Bieber in Offenbach am Main. Oli Rüger, Studiobetreiber und selbst Musiker, hat langjährige Erfahrung mit dem Aufnehmen von Gitarrenbands. Innerhalb von drei Tagen spielte die Band die Basic Tracks live ein, anschließend ergänzten sie diese durch Overdubs. Rüger war auch als Co-Produzent beteiligt. Cappel: ,Oli hat das richtige Händchen für die perfekte Balance zwischen rohen, heftigen und filigranen Sounds, ohne gleichzeitig den Blick für das große Ganze zu verlieren." Das Werk wurde final von Krautrock-Legende Eroc gemastert - eine passende Wahl für eine Band, die sich nicht nur als Erben der 70er sieht, sondern diese Tradition aktiv in die Gegenwart weiterdenkt. Das monochrome Cover-Artwork unterstreicht eindrucksvoll die dunkle Atmosphäre der Musik. Es verdeutlicht den konzeptionellen Ansatz der Band, Musik nicht nur als Klang, sondern als Raum, Konzept und visionäre Erzählform zu begreifen. Das Titelbild - eine scheinbar endlose Spirale, Symbol für DNA-Strukturen und Ewigkeit - wurde vom italienischen Grafiker Daniele Stochino entworfen. Die Innenseite des Gatefolds verbindet dieses Motiv mit einer Illustration des in Berlin lebenden Grafikers und Musikers Max Emil Hurlebaus. Durch farbige Akzente eröffnet sie kontrastreich neue Perspektiven.

With X-ÆON, Giöbia push their signature blend of mesmerizing neo-psychedelia and space rock into uncharted territory. Echoes of the '70s meet a bold, forward-looking vision, shaping an album that feels timeless. Each track offers a glimpse into a parallel reality, a plunge into a new era brimming with tension and mystery. As the band puts it: "This album is everything we've lived and learned, captured in the moment we're in now."

Aque Blue vinyl, limited to 350 copies. With X-ÆON, Giöbia push their signature blend of mesmerizing neo-psychedelia and space rock into uncharted territory. Echoes of the '70s meet a bold, forward-looking vision, shaping an album that feels timeless. Each track offers a glimpse into a parallel reality, a plunge into a new era brimming with tension and mystery. As the band puts it: "This album is everything we've lived and learned, captured in the moment we're in now."

Emily A. Sprague's Cloud Time traces an audio-spiritual journey through time and place, recorded across a long-awaited debut tour of Japan in the fall of 2024. Compiled from environmental improvisations captured in and for the moment, material at once welcoming, responsive, and inimitable, the album distills a voyage guided by psychic wayfaring, unbound presence, and activating performance for a reciprocal exchange with space, listener, and each fully engaged instant. The Japanese tour documented on Cloud Time held an almost mythic significance for Sprague, taking on properties of her own sonic white whale. After many near-departures and dropped plans to play in the country, "the empty spaces of cancelled trips and forgotten music turned into strange little misty spirits that I felt followed by," she says. "When I began preparing for the tour, I couldn't shake a sense that the invitation to Japan was more about opening myself up to this new place instead of bringing something into it tightly under my control. Improvisation has always been such a pillar in my music practice, and I really wanted to meet the country, spaces and people through that process." To amplify these intuitive whispers on-stage, Sprague reimagined her time-tested live rig, designed to be as free from error as possible, as a looser, more flexible set up that would allow her to interface with what was essentially a blank sonic canvas every night. Each performance became a collaboration between environment and instinct, Sprague processing the events, energies, and emotions informing the evening through her new sound ecosystem, and projecting an entirely present and unique version of herself to each open-eared and hearted crowd. "It was very much more than just an act of playing for me, but a total experience of time and place," she says. The seven long-form pieces that plot the course of Cloud Time, excerpted from over eight hours of recordings archived on the artist's on-stage recorder and generously shared on the album with no additional mixing and only minimal editing, invite listeners to become still in these deep-rooted moments of presence as the album moves from city to city, venue to venue. Cloud Time chronicles material recorded at each tour stop, Sprague selecting and sequencing the album around mood-based storytelling more so than linear chronology. "I tried to make the whole album flow in the way that any one of the complete live performances did," she explains, "while also keeping the spirit of the whole thing as a journey." The result is equal parts travelog, love letter, and impressionistic collage channeled from the potent ferment of a now encased in the glowing amber of memory. Intrinsically inspired by kankyo ongaku, an environmental music philosophy, known both in and widely outside of Japan that tunes into the similarly expansive ethos as Pauline Oliveros' deep listening practice and posits the listener as composer, Cloud Time is ambient music that seems to be listening right back, grounded in heartfelt synthesized frequencies that abundantly hold and heal. Pieces like "Nagoya," "Tokyo 1," and the ten minute "Matsumoto" in particular hum with the atomic resonance of gently tended landscapes, offering space for tuning way in and dropping far out from perspectives that stifle and bind. Cloud Time is an invitation to embrace each moment as both fleeting and eternal, floating by with nothing to grasp onto and absolutely everything to gain. The exercise in acceptance and letting go that Sprague practiced throughout the tour deeply impacted her understanding of self as both a guest and venerable performer. "The process of loving wherever I am, being present and focusing on a clear channel of communication for mind and emotion, rooted so deeply in respect for the space, those within it, and myself, ended up being profoundly healing," she says. "My vision and hope is that this album can be released as a gift back to anyone who either was or wasn't there. A cloud time of life passing by."

Scintillating, alchemical kosmische; visionary, deep, and luminous; and beautifully sleeved, with gold foiling and silver ink.

Works In Metal fans out a set of acid treatments and finely sharpened blades — cutting, shaping, suspending form. Sounds are melted down and forged as if liquid metal.
The works are paired. Arc’s Blue Flame previews the smoking volatility at the album’s core. Echoes and resonance soften the dissonant, bright textures; all overlaid with Fofana’s signature, percussive kick drums. Welding drills into the discordant thrills and spills of metamorphosis. Sparks fly and the bittersweet arc of change unfolds.
Fofana discreetly folds in text, poetry, and field recordings, spooring their decomposition and recomposition with a prismatic point of view. The coupling Obscure Light (Decomposition) and Obscure Light (Recomposition) marks something new in his music. The pulse is brightly honed, cascading beyond the dancefloor, exultingly eluding musical genre.
Works in Metal is perhaps Fofana’s most narrative album. At its heart is the killer, extended Lure of the Fragment / So Another Sound Suggests Itself. Melodies circle in call-and-response patterns, balancing proximity and distance, signalling the inward gravity required to work with metal. A nested story-line, with birds flying in; an album within an album. Dredging up memories and associations, Fofana filters in selections from his sound-archives. Layered with synths, field recordings become instruments in their own right. The last three minutes proffer precious clarity — a memory, in miniature, flashed onto molten metal.

In 1943 Suzanne Césaire declared that ‘our surrealism will then supply them the leaven from their very depths. It will be time finally to transcend the sordid contemporary antinomies: Whites-Blacks, Europeans-Africans, civilized-savage: the powerful magic of the mahoulis will be recovered, drawn from the very wellsprings of life. Colonial idiocies will be purified by the welding arc’s blue flame. The mettle of our metal, our cutting edge of steel, our unique communions — all will be recovered’. Works in Metal is a tribute to her prophecy; its enactment, sculpted in sound.

Guedra Guedra ist das elektronische Musikprojekt des marokkanischen Produzenten Abdellah M. Hassak. Der Sound von Guedra Guedra ist eine schillernde Mischung aus visionärer elektronischer Musik und musikalischen Traditionen des gesamten afrikanischen Kontinents! Tipp!

MUTANT ist das zweite Album von Guedra Guedra und das erste auf Smugglers Way. Auf MUTANT mischt Abdellah M. Hassak analoge Synthesizer und Drumcomputer mit Field Recordings aus Marokko, Tansania, Guinea und anderen Ländern, die er auf seinen Reisen durch den Kontinent gesammelt hat. MUTANT erforscht Themen wie Identität, Panafrikanismus, Afrofuturismus und Dekolonisierung und verbindet das musikalische Erbe des Kontinents mit Elementen von Techno, Bassmusik und Dub. "Ich wollte einen kulturellen Sound schaffen, der Innovation mit afrikanischer und diasporischer Musik sowie den Vibes von Rhythmus und Bass erforscht", sagt Abdellah. Die Musik von Guedra Guedra ist durchdrungen von Abdellahs Vision der kulturellen und technologischen Dekolonisierung. Eine Vision, die den Panafrikanismus feiert und die Art und Weise hinterfragt, wie Mainstream-Produktionswerkzeuge nicht in der Lage sind, nicht-westliche musikalische Ausdrucksformen zu erfassen. "In afrikanischen Traditionen ist der Rhythmus, insbesondere in seiner polyrhythmischen Form, nicht nur ein Puls oder ein Takt, sondern eine Kartographie des Lebens. Er drückt soziale Komplexität, vielschichtige mündlicher Überlieferungen, Gemeinschaftsdynamik und die spirituelle Dimension der Existenz aus", sagt Abdellah. "Die Weitergabe dieses Reichtums von Generation zu Generation durch Üben und Zuhören ist auch ein Akt des Widerstands, ein Weg, Wissen und Sensibilitäten zu bewahren, die die herrschenden Erzählungen lange Zeit zu marginalisieren oder zu vereinfachen versucht haben.

- 140G schwarzes Biovinyl inkl. vierseitigem Booklet und Downloadkarte

"After years of exploring different realms of electronic music, Trinchera.XV opens the doors of its label with a vinyl EP that moves between dancefloor-driven energy and sonic abstraction. For this first release, two complementary visions converge: the renowned artistry of Radial, a key figure on the international scene, and the fresh, promising energy of Bendiak, an emerging talent from the local landscape."


a Radial - Roundabout Way TXV01
b Radial - Sly [TXV01]
[c] Bendiak - Cheat Codes (Time Mix) [TXV01]
[d] Bendiak - Niebla en la Trinchera [TXV01]
[e] Bendiak - Dos Copos de Nieve [TXV01]

Italian producer, musician, DJ, and groove architect Sam Ruffillo drops his long-awaited debut album Tipo Così on Toy Tonics – a sun-drenched, genre-blurring statement that blends classic house with Mediterranean flair, romantic funk, and tongue-in-cheek Italo vibes. Over 11 expertly crafted tracks, Ruffillo delivers a dancefloor-ready, emotionally rich LP that connects deep musicality with irresistible rhythm and light-hearted elegance.

After three acclaimed EPs and collaborations with revered artists such as Barbara Boeing, Kapote, and Fimiani, Ruffillo has firmly cemented himself as a core artist on the Berlin-based label. Known for his unmistakable signature sound — a warm mix of vintage disco, 90s house, and Italian vocals — Sam’s music has garnered widespread DJ support from tastemakers like Gerd Janson, Palms Trax, Seth Troxler, and DJ Tennis, while becoming a staple on Italian airwaves. His infectious summer anthems like Danza Organica and Perfetta Così have soundtracked countless club nights and festivals, creating a loyal following that eagerly awaited this full-length debut.

Tipo Così is the natural culmination of a musical journey that’s both playful and profound — a travel diary written in grooves, synth stabs, and melodies that feel like postcards from a parallel Mediterranean universe. The album expands and deepens Ruffillo’s world into a fully immersive experience: lush emotional chords meet tight syncopated grooves, vintage synth textures collide with irresistibly catchy pop refrains, and the boundary between sincerity and playful irony is exquisitely blurred.

Entirely written, produced, and recorded in Italy, in his beloved hometown of Bologna, the album finds Ruffillo at the helm on keys, drum machines, and production, supported by a talented cast of musicians contributing live bass, guitar, and other organic elements — further enriching his trademark fusion of electronic grooves and natural instrumentation. There’s a tactile warmth in these tracks, a hands-on feel that adds soul and depth to every beat.

This album also marks Ruffillo’s heartfelt return to singing in Italian, with standout tracks like House Tipo Così, Mi Fa Volare, Ancora, and Dentro Di Me, where romantic naïveté meets pulsing club energy in a way that feels both timeless and refreshingly new. The vocal performances add an intimate, human touch to the music, reinforcing the personal stories woven into each song. There’s poetry in the casual, a bittersweet elegance in the way the lyrics float over groove-heavy production.

Having toured extensively across Europe, Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Mexico — with sets at iconic venues like Panorama Bar and festivals such as Sónar Barcelona — Ruffillo has fine-tuned much of this album in front of live audiences. The real-world testing ground infused the record with a dynamic energy and immediacy that only comes from genuine crowd interaction. These songs weren’t just made in the studio — they were lived on dancefloors around the world.

Tipo Così is not just a collection of tracks. It’s a philosophy — playful, stylish and unmistakably personal. A modern club album bursting with heartfelt emotion and sophistication. Music for dancers with taste; for lovers of beauty, rhythm, and the little imperfections that make things feel real.

But what exactly is Tipo Così? More than just a phrase, it’s a way of being. It’s about embracing elegance without effort, mixing irony with sincerity, and letting nostalgia slip into the room without taking over the party. It’s Sam Ruffillo’s signature language: relaxed, confident, meticulous yet never rigid — where a chord progression can say as much as a lyric, and every beat carries intention.

The album’s visual identity complements this vision perfectly. The artwork and promotional materials lovingly reference Italian design from the ’80s and ’90s, combining bold graphic elements with playful pop culture nods. This aesthetic mirrors Ruffillo’s music — a fusion of vintage warmth and contemporary freshness, delivered with authenticity and charm.

Sam Ruffillo belongs to a new generation of European artists who are reshaping electronic music by blending past and present, analog and digital, groove and emotion — without nostalgia or pose. His artistic universe is coherent, vibrant, and alive; a rich tapestry of sound, images, and stories that coexist with lightness, precision, and a distinctive voice.

Reflecting on his artistic journey, Sam describes music as a vital, deeply human impulse — a tribal connection to rhythm and body that has driven him since he was a teenager. His creative process balances meticulous planning with room for spontaneity, usually sparked by clear melodic ideas that evolve naturally. Collaborations with close friends, especially vocalists like Ninfa, add warmth and authenticity, exemplified in tracks like “House Tipo Così.” For Sam, music is honest self-expression — crafted for listeners who crave memorable melodies and rhythms imbued with genuine feeling.

While technical perfection is tempting, Sam prioritizes emotion, knowing that what truly resonates is the soul behind the sounds. His long-standing partnership with Toy Tonics has been key in nurturing his vision, offering a blend of creative freedom and professional support. Looking ahead, Sam Ruffillo is excited to broaden his live performances, and release new projects that continue to blend electronic grooves with organic, heartfelt sounds — maintaining the delicate balance between playful irony and sincere emotion that defines Tipo Così.




Kurzversion:
Italian DJ, producer and musician Sam Ruffillo drops his debut album Tipo Così on Toy Tonics - a sunny blend of house, funk, Italo and pop, full of groove and emotion. Written and recorded in Bologna with live instruments and Italian vocals, it’s a playful, elegant journey shaped on dancefloors worldwide. A stylish, sincere club album where nostalgia, irony and rhythm meet in perfect harmony.

- Mi Fa Volare
Road-tested across continents and now finally released, “Mi Fa Volare” channels 90s uplifting euphoria with big breakbeats, lush chords, and Italian vocals built to stick. Somewhere between balearic bliss and piano house nostalgia, it’s a feel-good club weapon made for peak-time moments - already sung back by crowds after just one listen.


- Ancora
“Ancora” is a vibrant hi-NRG track inspired by 80s Italo disco, sung entirely in Italian. It blends driving rhythms with dreamy melodies, capturing the radiant spirit of the decade. This fresh yet nostalgic song delivers euphoric vibes and timeless energy, making it a perfect fit for both dancefloors and reflective listening moments worldwide.


- Dentro Di Me
“Dentro Di Me” channels ‘90s sensuality through a fast-paced, UK house-inspired lens. Entirely in Italian, it’s a bold and contemporary dance track where hypnotic vocals meet high-energy grooves. Blending nostalgic textures with forward-thinking production, the result is a seductive and euphoric trip - equal parts emotional and club-ready.


- Amigo
“Amigo” blends Latin groove, acoustic guitar-driven rhythm, and Mediterranean flair into a warm, magnetic, cross-cultural dance anthem. Sung in Spanish and Italian, it celebrates connection, inclusivity, and the joy of moving together - whether stranger or friend. With its unstoppable rhythm and vibrant energy, it’s a feel-good track with a unifying spirit.


- Ma Sei Fuori
“Ma Sei Fuori” is a tongue-in-cheek dancefloor bomb blending raw house energy with catchy vocal phrases and a nod to classic French touch. Driven by hypnotic vocal lines and a playful attitude, it doesn’t take itself too seriously - while still proving serious club impact. Built for late-night moments, it’s bold, bouncy, and impossible to ignore.

Emily A. Sprague's Cloud Time traces an audio-spiritual journey through time and place, recorded across a long-awaited debut tour of Japan in the fall of 2024. Compiled from environmental improvisations captured in and for the moment, material at once welcoming, responsive, and inimitable, the album distills a voyage guided by psychic wayfaring, unbound presence, and activating performance for a reciprocal exchange with space, listener, and each fully engaged instant. The Japanese tour documented on Cloud Time held an almost mythic significance for Sprague, taking on properties of her own sonic white whale. After many near-departures and dropped plans to play in the country, "the empty spaces of cancelled trips and forgotten music turned into strange little misty spirits that I felt followed by," she says. "When I began preparing for the tour, I couldn't shake a sense that the invitation to Japan was more about opening myself up to this new place instead of bringing something into it tightly under my control. Improvisation has always been such a pillar in my music practice, and I really wanted to meet the country, spaces and people through that process." To amplify these intuitive whispers on-stage, Sprague reimagined her time-tested live rig, designed to be as free from error as possible, as a looser, more flexible set up that would allow her to interface with what was essentially a blank sonic canvas every night. Each performance became a collaboration between environment and instinct, Sprague processing the events, energies, and emotions informing the evening through her new sound ecosystem, and projecting an entirely present and unique version of herself to each open-eared and hearted crowd. "It was very much more than just an act of playing for me, but a total experience of time and place," she says. The seven long-form pieces that plot the course of Cloud Time, excerpted from over eight hours of recordings archived on the artist's on-stage recorder and generously shared on the album with no additional mixing and only minimal editing, invite listeners to become still in these deep-rooted moments of presence as the album moves from city to city, venue to venue. Cloud Time chronicles material recorded at each tour stop, Sprague selecting and sequencing the album around mood-based storytelling more so than linear chronology. "I tried to make the whole album flow in the way that any one of the complete live performances did," she explains, "while also keeping the spirit of the whole thing as a journey." The result is equal parts travelog, love letter, and impressionistic collage channeled from the potent ferment of a now encased in the glowing amber of memory. Intrinsically inspired by kankyo ongaku, an environmental music philosophy, known both in and widely outside of Japan that tunes into the similarly expansive ethos as Pauline Oliveros' deep listening practice and posits the listener as composer, Cloud Time is ambient music that seems to be listening right back, grounded in heartfelt synthesized frequencies that abundantly hold and heal. Pieces like "Nagoya," "Tokyo 1," and the ten minute "Matsumoto" in particular hum with the atomic resonance of gently tended landscapes, offering space for tuning way in and dropping far out from perspectives that stifle and bind. Cloud Time is an invitation to embrace each moment as both fleeting and eternal, floating by with nothing to grasp onto and absolutely everything to gain. The exercise in acceptance and letting go that Sprague practiced throughout the tour deeply impacted her understanding of self as both a guest and venerable performer. "The process of loving wherever I am, being present and focusing on a clear channel of communication for mind and emotion, rooted so deeply in respect for the space, those within it, and myself, ended up being profoundly healing," she says. "My vision and hope is that this album can be released as a gift back to anyone who either was or wasn't there. A cloud time of life passing by." Emily A. Sprague's Cloud Time will be released Friday, October 10th in vinyl, Japanese import CD (via Plancha), and digital editions.

Erik K Skodvin summons his alter ego Svarte Greiner for a dive into the dark, wintery Swedish forest with the score to the psychological thriller/horror film “From Darkness” (orig: Ur Mörkret).

The film is director Philip W. Da Silva's debut and is set largely at night, deep in a Swedish nature reserve where mining used to take place. Loss, mental health and Nordic mythology come together in a story that revolves around the search for a missing woman. The score follows an eclectic and atmospherical path throughout the narrative with an uneasy underlaying vibe; although one with occasional points of refuge in the otherwise vast darkness. There is a gloomy, barely tangible sound of Nordic folk tradition buried in the music, even if it comes across in a different, more abstract way, where the various instruments are often used more as sound sources that are improvised (and abused) into becoming their own element. Skodvin performed and recorded the majority himself. In addition, he commissioned free improviser Axel Dörner to participate with his unique, custom-built electro-acoustic interface, which, along with Claudio Puntin's processed reeds and additional electronics, has been built into the elaborate backdrops to create an entire world that balances on the border between the approachable and the elusive - not unlike the journey of the protagonists. Skodvin's partner in Deaf Center, Otto A Totland, appears on piano in the stand out piece “What have you become?”.

The result is a harrowing yet deeply melancholic journey through the human psyche. One that echoes through the dark forests, cabins and lost mines of the desolate Swedish woodlands.

“It is presumed that as humans mined ore in the 1800s, they had many mishaps and dug too deep, leading them to assume they had unleashed some evil spirit that was guarding the ore. She was referred to as "Cave Wraith". It was said that she employed darkness to lure miners to their deaths. They prohibited villagers from visiting during the darkest months of the year. Some used sacrifices to subdue the evil entity.”

The vinyl is released in an edition of 150 numbered copies, with screenprinted artwork on black cardboard inside a screenprinted PVC sleeve, incl. Riso-printed insert with liner notes by Mike Lazarev, 180g vinyl.

"Bandleader Lina Langendorf has been known in Sweden for a long time as one of the most skilled and forward thinking saxophone players. She has been staying in both Mali and Ethopia for longer periods and has performed in concerts with legendary artists like Alemayehu Eshete, Vieux Farka Touré and...Mulatu Astatke who, at his club African Jazz Village (in Addis Ababa/Ethiopia), introduced Lina to people in the audience with the words: 'Amazing saxophone player, big respect! We should play together some day'. Some minutes later they go on stage together. Joined by the legendary piano player Dawit Yifru and the bass player from Roha Band, Giovanni Rico Bonsignori. 'Fantastic. You're so strong. Everybody loves you, they say you are ethio-jazz' was Mulatu's words after the jam session.
Lina has also been invited to the live club Le Hogon in Bamako numerous times for jam sessions and concerts with Toumani Diabaté and his band. And for Lina, these jam sessions in Addis and Bamako has been a crucial part of shaping (and sharpening) her musical vision. Last year she was also touring the UK as part of James Yorkston, Nina Persson and the second hand orchestra.
But it wasn't until feb 2023 we got to hear her own music. The debut album with her newly formed band Langendorf United was co-released between Italian label Black Sweat records and Swedish label Sing A Song Fighter and it immediately resonated with music lovers around the world (Radiohead drummer Philip Selway called it 'as if Tinariwen and Fela Kuti had a Blue Note session').
But the band is not just the composer/Saxophone star and band leader Lina Langendorf. Oh, no. The other four musicians are all highly praised musicians in various jazz bands in Sweden and Norway and together they form this sacred thythmic unity with the pulsating bass at the centre.
Langendorf United's music is vibrant and spiritual and on fire!"

Lina Langendorf - saxophone
Daniel Bingert (son of legendary South American musician Hector Bingert) - keys, guitars
Martin Hederos (The Soundtrack Of Our Lives, Tonbruket) - keys, viola
Ole Morten Vågan (Trondheim Jazz Orchestra) - upright bass
Andreas Werliin (Fire!, Wildbirds & Peacedrums) - drums

Hard Times welcomes back Alex Arnout and his BLACK LOGIC project, following their recent ‘Pull Up’ EP with a second installment of new music from collective - The Illusions EP.

Hailing from West Yorkshire, Arnout spent his formative years on the Hard Times dancefloors, absorbing the beats and vibes that would later shape his own productions. His journey with the label reignited when he was invited to remix Michael Watford’s classic 'Love Change Over' and Steve Silk Hurley’s fresh hit 'All I Need'. Now, he returns with something truly special.

“Black Logic was born out of the pandemic,” says Arnout. “I wanted to move away from drum machines and synths, getting back to sampling jazz and the deep house sounds of the ‘90s - taking inspiration from artists like Bugs in the Attic, Jazzanova, and Ernest Saint Laurent.”

What began as a solo project soon evolved into a collective effort. Bassist and guitarist Alan Riggs, a former member of Delta 5, joined the sessions, bringing warmth and groove to the productions. Vocalists Tempo O’Neil, Anthony Beckford, Mariana Orsho, and Sophie Barker added their distinct voices, completing the vision

Across four tracks, The Illusions EP pulls us deeper into Black Logic’s rich, live-wired universe. The title track pairs Tempo O’Neil’s vocal with a grooving, low-slung bassline, whilst “Dusty” drifts in on brushed snares and ghostly Rhodes, its saxophone lines curling through the mix like smoke. “Chasing Daze,” analog synth shimmer and Tempo’s velvet tones, is a track suspended between head-nod groove and astral lift.

The curtain falls with “Disco Down,” a jubilant ensemble of Hammond organ, flute, guitar, bongos, and horns locking into joyous conversation.

DEVO’s Hardcore documents the group’s beginning as pre-punk outcasts in the fertile Akron, Ohio, underground rock scene. Spawned at the nearby college of Kent State, site of the infamous May 4 Massacre, DEVO formed as a conceptual art project armed with the radical philosophy of de-evolution. Brothers Mothersbaugh (Mark, Bob and Jim) and Brothers Casale (Jerry and Bob) along with drummer Alan Myers soon whipped up an otherworldly brand of “devolved blues” that could hold its own alongside the beatnik groove of 15-60-75 (a.k.a. The Numbers Band) or the primal rock poetry of The Bizarros. Recorded on various four-track machines and in tiny studios, basements and garages between 1974-1977, Hardcore reveals their strikingly clear vision: rock ’n’ roll stripped bare of its collective cool and jerked back into propaganda fit for post-modern man. It’s no surprise that these transmissions would soon catch the eye and ear of Brian Eno, who later produced their landmark 1978 debut album. Noisy synth, strangled guitar chops and a primitive rhythmic thud power the early DEVO sound. Threaded beneath it all are lyrical themes of post-McCarthy paranoia, middle-class ephemera and DEVO’s long-running topic of choice: sex, or lack thereof. Few moments in pop music history can match the grinding, pent-up energy of “Mongoloid” and the spastic bounce and sputter of “Jocko Homo” (two anthems presented in their earlier and superior versions here). Cult favorites like “Mechanical Man” and “Auto-Modown” make Volume 1 essential listening. Superior Viaduct and Booji Boy Records are proud to present DEVO’s Hardcore to a new generation of spuds, lovingly packaged with Moshe Brakha’s stunning cover photography. As David Bowie said in 1977, DEVO is indeed “the band of the future.”

Steve Hauschildt returns after 6 years with a new album titled Aeropsia. After a transcontinental relocation from the US to Tbilisi, Georgia, the electronic composer emerges from a personal and global transformation to explore themes of perceptual distortion, disconnection, and renewal.

Aeropsia (which roughly translates as “seeing the air”) refers to a visual phenomenon in which objects appear to float or shimmer, often due to changes in pressure, perception, atmospheric shifts or neurological disturbance. This becomes a metaphor for the liminality that informs the record: blurry visions, dreamlike displacements, and the fragile membrane separating what is seen from what is felt.

In the years since his last solo release, Hauschildt’s world has been marked by relocation and a growing sense of global turbulence. These experiences became the raw material for a work that navigates institutional haze and uncertainty itself. The result is music that employs decay as method, structure as entropy, and mutation as expression.

While Aeropsia remains subjective in its vision, Hauschildt invited two previous collaborators to expand the album’s gravitational pull. Cellist Lia Kohl, who previously performed on Nonlin, returns and brings a tactile warmth to select tracks, while guitarist Michael Vallera threads spectral harmonics into the mix. The album’s electronic foundation and its tactile elements meet in a state of luminous suspension to navigate the shifting in physical and psychological terrain.

Zelienople frontman Matt Christensen returns to Miasmah with Constant Green - a record of reverberant country inspired songs that puts the weight somewhere between Johnny Cash and Slowdive. Matt pours out his soul through flashes of life - small and large. His voice roaming over the guitars in a way which feels like a floating poetic deluge.

Appearing fresh from last years Zelienople album Hold You Up, Matt has made a very personal record that arrives as perfectly as it could be. It is full of beautiful sparse moments that capture the feeling of time standing still while simultaneously flashing in front of your eyes. As a child of the 70ies, growing up with country influenced AM rock on the radio, riding around in cars without seatbelts, Matt creates this nostalgic feeling of free riding through the city streets at dusk : a dream world where one can see green as a symbol for humanity and optimism. Not to say the album doesn't have it's share of darkness. Christensen always lingers deep in melancholy, driving his fears and anxieties out through music.

Visions of being able to move anywhere, picking his mother up from jail, family matters, change, the small things in life - all outtakes from what he sings about. Although it's hard to pick up on unless you really listen, as his ramblings can at one moment be fully clear while in the next drowned or muffled - becoming a mere meditative element to the music. Steady collaborators Brian Harding and Eric Eleazer from Zelienople accompanies on pedal steel and keys to further fill the sound into a warm dream, following in the footsteps of Matt ́s previous Miasmah album Honeymoons (2016). That said, while Honeymoons used drum machines and vast open spaces, Constant Green is another step closer towards the classic singer-songwriter folklore. Timeless gold from an artist that never stops creating.

Swiss shapeshifter Elsa surfaces on Punctuality for the first time, marking the label’s seventh release with a debut EP that dives deep and swims sideways through an eclectic milieu of club influences.

Across the five tracks on Web Glow, there are nods to turn-of-the-century tech house, liquid D&B, broken IDM, psy-laced trance, and modern tek mutations. Subtle wubs ripple under the surface, low-end pressure coils tight, and meticulous sound design binds the tracks into a fully realized vision of Elsa’s forward-thinking sound. Enter the unfolding.

Roza Terenzi steps up to remix “Web Glow,” reanimating the track as a skeletal early-morning stepper—the mood is giving sizzling dubbed-out vocal wisps, pulsing subs, and stripped-back drums. “Groupie” notches up the BPM but keeps things fluid with aquatic atmospherix, jittering FX, and drums that skid out and under rolling basslines.

“Fortune Cookie” flashes uk-tinged tech house with shimmering shards of SFX, resplendent with stuttering kicks, glassy pads, and sultry textures. The halftime jungle-IDM stylings of “No Ads” round off the EP in a haze of fractured breaks and dubbed-out atmospherics. A murky, magnetic debut on Punctuality—Elsa sketches out a soundworld all her own. Dive in and catch it.

Visionary producer and one half of pioneering electronic duo The Chemical Brothers, Tom Rowlands returns to Phantasy with ‘We Are Nothing / All Night’, the first solo dancefloor material since his last appearance on Erol Alkan’s storied London label in 2013 with ‘Through Me / Nothing But Pleasure’.

Once again, Rowlands delivers a double A-side single in order to commit two progressive new productions to wax. Heavily road-tested across the world in Chemical Brothers DJ sets, the sprawling arrangement of ‘We Are Nothing’ trips through a decades-long obsession and subversion of house music and psychedelia alike. Imaginatively sampling Canadian outsider artist Bill Bissett, Rowlands uses the poet’s existential phrasing as the foundation for a rising slalom of acid catharsis, peppered with snatches of soul, analogue freakouts, and all-encompassing groove.

‘All Night’, meanwhile, finds a different, perhaps unexpected rhythm. Here, Rowlands’ unmatched studio instincts deviate in a different direction entirely, employing a searing tempo to embrace the analogue experimentation at the heart of his work, as well as an appreciation for electronic music’s willingness to barrel ever-forward; the result is a worthy head spinner from both label and artist alike.

Tom Rowlands will play a rare solo DJ set at Glastonbury's Stonebridge Bar on Friday 27th June, as part of Bugged Out's 30th Anniversary celebrations.

Nevertel, are set to release their Epitaph Records debut album, entitled Start Again. The Florida-based trio - comprised of vocalist Jeremy Michael, rapper/guitarist/producer Raul Lopez, and guitarist Alec Davis - are a rare breed in an era saturated with genre tags and algorithm-chasing playlists. Drawing on a cocktail of nu-metal nostalgia, hip-hop grit, and EDM adrenaline, their sound feels less like a blend and more like a carefully controlled detonation. It"s a vision honed through years of DIY hustle and an unshakable commitment to quality over trend. Bonded in adolescence over music and late-night gaming sessions, the trio turned those formative obsessions into a full-fledged project that has steadily built a digital groundswell. From self-releasing two fulllength albums and a pair of EPs to amassing over 1.5 million streams per week, Nevertel"s trajectory reflects a slow burn in a culture obsessed with instant virality. Citing touchstones like Linkin Park and Bring Me The Horizon, the band pays homage to the titans of their youth while shaping something unmistakably their own: emotionally raw lyricism, razor-edged riffs and breakdowns. It"s equal parts catharsis and chaos. Now signed to Epitaph Records as of 2023, Nevertel are poised to enter their next chapter with momentum at their backs.

Biometric-Audio presents its second release: Serial Experiments Lain, a five track musical project characterized by an artistic virus in which stories unfold through minimalistic music, science fiction and industrial sounds, with very dark atmospheres at times. The album relates with a wide range of listeners. The idea was born from the inspiration of two mangas, Serial Experiments Lain and Ghost in the Shell, merging their elements into a single creative vision. A connection between mind and technology.

London based label Natural Selection present their forthcoming release in the form of a 4-track 12" EP, courtesy of Swarm Intelligence, entitled "Radiance". Mastered by Alain Paul and cut by Simon at The Exchange Vinyl. Record Sleeve and labels printed to premium specification, featuring artwork by Kaan Ulgener.

Born in Dublin and now firmly based in Berlin, Simon Hayes aka Swarm Intelligence has cemented his place in the Techno underground with critically acclaimed LPs and EPs on labels such as 47, Instruments of Discipline and Voitax. He returns to Natural Selection, after releasing his track "Generative" on the label's latest VA release; "Natural Selection: Selected Works Vol. 1" in 2024. Featuring amongst an extensive list of heavyweight label affiliates such as SHXCXCHCXSH, Charlton, ASEC, Nørbak, MAEDON, Annie Hall & more. After further connections with the label via live performances at their regular label nights at FOLD London, it was inevitable that Simon would be invited to release a solo EP on their imprint.

His distinctive sound comes from over a decade of releases spanning multiple genres and tempos and oscillates between rhythmic noise, tense atmospherics, uncompromising levels of distortion, and stark, astute beats. This resolutely non-conformist approach to his productions has earned him a reputation as a true trailblazer in the realm of Techno and has led him to perform at some of the world's finest institutions including Berghain, Tresor and Basement NY.

For "Radiance", Swarm intelligence delves further into the sonic unknown, presenting a bold evolution in his uncompromising vision of Techno. Deep, fragmented textures form the backdrop for thunderous, distorted rhythms and IDM-laden drums and percussion, fused with meticulously designed cinematic soundscapes and powerful low-end muscle. Fierce, unrelenting, and deeply conceptual, all rules and boundaries are smashed to pieces and all tracks are equally suitable for blasting through the world's biggest club systems and rigs as they are for home listening.

In-Correcto 15–25 marks the first vinyl compilation by Bogotá’s independent label InCorrecto, created in collaboration with Austrian imprint discos elgozo. Celebrating ten years of sonic exploration and creative resistance from the Global South, this special edition brings together a vibrant constellation of artists that define the label’s sound: La Muchacha, Ana María Vahos, Felipe Orjuela, Mau Gatiyo, Conjunto Media Luna, Briela Ojeda, Zarigüeya, Buha 2030, and many more. Between mutant cumbia, Latin American folk, introspective electronics, and borderless sonic experiments, 15–25 is both a party and a statement: a manifesto of the in-correct as an artistic and collective force.

Since 2015, In-Correcto has grown from a cultural magazine into one of Latin America’s most vital independent hubs, operating as a record label, publishing house, and creative collective. With more than 160 releases ranging from punk and ambient to trip-hop and experimental cumbia, the label has supported a generation of artists whose work is as socially engaged as it is sonically daring. Through compilations, anniversary concerts, and political projects, In-Correcto has solidified its reputation as a catalyst for collaboration, solidarity, and cultural cross-pollination in Bogotá and beyond. Based in Vienna with roots on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, discos elgozo shares this vision. Founded in 2024, the label works with Colombian artists and their diaspora, releasing music that fuses ancestral knowledge, queer-feminist expression, sonic experimentation, and joy as a political force—as a way to resist cultural erasure, reactivate traditions, and recover collective vitality. Its catalog spans salsa brava, bullerengue, psychedelic cumbia, and experimental jazz, with a strong focus on vinyl as an act of listening, memory, and resistance.

Carefully pressed, In-Correcto 15–25 is more than a record: it is a bridge between Bogotá’s underground and a global network of listeners. A sonic archive and an invitation to dance, it reaffirms that joy, experimentation, and community remain powerful tools to imagine the world otherwise.

Mr Sam - HERITAGE (1995-2025)

HERITAGE celebrates 30 years of Mr Sam's career in a world-first collector's edition: a monumental best-of gathering 40 tracks across 10 vinyls. Never before has an electronic DJ and producer released such a project - an unprecedented box set that stands as a unique, sincere and intimate journey, blending emotion, innovation and musical memory.

Each track has been carefully selected, remastered, and placed as part of a personal narrative. More than just a compilation, HERITAGE is a musical journey - the story of an artist who has shaped the trance and progressive scene worldwide since 1995, and who continues to write history, with this release sealing his legacy forever.

The album features his most iconic productions (Lotus, the Screen series, Forever Waiting, Lyteo...) alongside timeless contributions from artists who influenced a generation, including D*Note, Timo Maas, Jam & Spoon...

This is more than a retrospective - with HERITAGE, Mr Sam permanently engraves his legacy in the history of electronic music.

ORBIT CULTURE läuten eine neue Ära ein. Das Century Media-Debüt des schwedischen Quartetts, "Death Above Life", ist nicht nur ein Statement, wie weit sie es gebracht haben, sondern es ist der Sound von Metal in seiner modernsten Form. "Das Album steht für einen Neuanfang", sagt ORBIT CULTURE-Gitarrist, Sänger und Songwriter Niklas Karlsson. "Es ruft positive und negati-ve Emotionen hervor, aber insgesamt bedeutet es eine Veränderung zum Besseren. Es fühlt sich an wie eine Wiedergeburt." Vom Opener "Inferna" über den stampfenden Titeltrack bis zum melancholischen Schlussstück "The Path I Walk" ist klar: ORBIT CUL-TURE sind in Bestform.
Neben ihrem DIY-Ethos und ihren kompromisslosen Dark-on-Dark-Visuals prägt laut Karlsson seine Vorliebe für Soundtracks und cineastische Soundscapes ihren Sound und Vision. Komponisten wie Hans Zimmer (Dune, Interstellar) und Howard Shore (Der Herr der Ringe) hätten einen großen Einfluss auf die Band. "Wahrscheinlich deutlich mehr als aktueller Metal", sagt Niklas. "Jeder von uns würde sich lieber den Soundtrack von 'Inception' anhören, weil er zeitlos ist. Wenn ich beim Schreiben nicht wei-terkomme, bieten mir z.B. Cello oder Klavier neue Möglichkeiten. Wir schreiben einfache Riffs und Strukturen, und wenn wir uns dabei von einem Künstler wie Hans Zimmer inspirieren lassen, kommt ein Song wie 'Inferna' heraus, weil wir den Chorus größer und cineastischer machen."
Produziert von der Band und gemixt von Buster Odeholm (Vildhjarta, Humanity's Last Breath, Thrown), ist "Death Above Life" ein Statement für den Metal, seine Gegenwart und Zukunft. Es ist ein entscheidender nächster Schritt für ORBIT CULTURE, da sie sich selbst und Metal als Ganzes frischer definieren. "Wir spielen Metal", sagt Karlsson. "Wir haben Einflüsse von Djent, von Me-talcore und melodischem Death Metal. Wir bleiben uns selbst treu, und ich denke, die Leute sind genau danach hungrig."
"Death Above Life" ist erhältlich als: Ltd. CD Digipak, Gatefold 2LP, Digital Album.

Die Cinematic-Funk-Visionäre The Diasonics liefern mit ihrem neuen Album ,Ornithology", das am 3. Oktober über Record Kicks veröffentlicht wird, ein weiteres solides Set aus östlich angehauchtem Psychedelic, Cinematic und Disco-Funk. Nach ihrem 2022 von der Kritik gefeierten Debütalbum ,Origin of Forms", das von PopMatters zum Library Music Album of the Year gekürt wurde, kehren die in Moskau ansässigen Instrumentalisten The Diasonics mit ,Ornithology" zurück, einem zweiten Album, das ihre klanglichen Grenzen erweitert und gleichzeitig ihrem unverwechselbaren Stil treu bleibt. Aufgenommen in ihrem eigens errichteten Studio 23, das sich in einer umgebauten Lampenfabrik aus der Sowjet-Ära befindet, ist das Album das Ergebnis von zwei Jahren intensiver kreativer Erkundungen und Experimente. Mit ihrer ganz eigenen Mischung aus cineastischem Funk, östlich angehauchten Melodien, instrumentalem Hip-Hop und analogem Soul haben sich The Diasonics einen einzigartigen Platz in der globalen Funkszene geschaffen. ,Ornithology" markiert ein neues Kapitel: Inspiriert von wiederkehrenden Vogelmotiven in ihrer Umgebung, von Zügen und Bahnhöfen bis hin zu lokaler Folklore und den Schreien der Vögel, die über ihrem Studio kreisen, kanalisiert die Platte Ideen von Bewegung und Freiheit, sowohl thematisch als auch musikalisch. ,Das Thema Vögel und Ornithologie ergab sich ganz von selbst - wir fingen einfach an, überall um uns herum vogelähnliche Namen zu bemerken: Züge und Bahnhöfe, Geschäfte, Orte, Nachnamen von Menschen, Bücher und Filme", sagt die Band. "Wir besorgten uns ein paar alte Synthesizer und stimmten die Oszillatoren, während wir den Schreien der Möwen lauschten, die um die Fabrik flogen, in der sich unser Studio befand. Die Ideen von Flug, Freiheit und Raum wurden zentral für die Musik des neuen Albums." Klanglich gehören zu den wesentlichen Merkmalen von Ornithology nicht nur die Synthesizer, sondern auch Diana Grebs hypnotischer Gesang, der sich nahtlos in die Klangpalette einfügt und dem instrumentalen Funk Leben und Seele einhaucht. ,In unserer Vorstellung balancieren wir wie Vögel zwischen der Erde und dem Himmel und haben versucht, unsere eigene musikalische Sprache innerhalb des Konzepts der Ornithologie zu erschaffen, die den Wunsch eines jeden Menschen widerspiegelt, den Vögeln näher zu kommen und frei zu schweben, jenseits von physischen oder mentalen Grenzen." Die 2019 gegründete vierköpfige Band, bestehend aus Daniil Lutsenko (E-Gitarre), Kamil Gazizov (Keyboards), Maksim Brusov (Bass) und Anton Moskvin (Schlagzeug & Perkussion), erlangte durch eine Reihe von begehrten 45er-Scheiben auf Mocambo Records und Funk Night Records schnell Kultstatus. Ihr von der Kritik hochgelobtes Debütalbum Origin of Forms,, das von Henry Jenkins, dem Produzenten der australischen Kultband Surprise Chef, gemischt wurde, erschien 2022 auf Record Kicks und wurde von PopMatters (US) zum Library Music Album" des Jahres und von FIP (Radio France) zum Album des Monats gekürt. Das Vinyl war innerhalb weniger Wochen ausverkauft und ist nun in der internationalen Cinematic-Funk-Szene sehr gefragt. ,Origin of Forms" erhielt begeisterte Kritiken von Zeitschriften wie Wax Poetics, Mojo, Rolling Stone FR, Clash, Uncut und wurde von Jamie Cullum (BBC2), KEXP, Radio France und Huey Morgan, Don Letts, Cerys Matthews und Tom Ravenscroft von BBC 6 Music, um nur einige zu nennen, unterstützt und gespielt. Mit dem neuen Album Ornithology tauchen The Diasonics in üppige Synthesizer, stripped-down Grooves und rohes instrumentales Zusammenspiel ein, schöpfen aus der Library-Musik der 1970er Jahre, sowjetischer Jazz-Fusion und Disco-Funk und liefern eine weitere supersolide Veröffentlichung, die all die Einzigartigkeit bestätigt und vorantreibt, die ,Origin of Forms" so verlockend machte. Unverzichtbar für Fans von Khruangbin, Surprise Chef und instrumentalen Funk-Grooves.

Vivid Visions ist eine psychedelische Reise durch modernen Indie-Rap, kreiert vom irischen Produzenten The Expert. Inspiriert von surrealen Traumlandschaften wie Twin Peaks und The Monkees' Head verbindet das Album abwechslungsreiche Klangwelten mit rauen Texten von 21 Gast-Rappern aus verschiedenen Generationen und Ländern. Das Ergebnis ist ein kaleidoskopisches Soundbild - mal luftig und geheimnisvoll, mal bunt und verspielt - getragen von The Experts markantem Bass. Ob Blu, Buck 65 oder aufstrebende Talente wie AJ Suede, jede Stimme bringt eine eigene Facette in diesen klanglichen Trip ein. Mehr als nur eine Beat-Kompilation fühlt sich Vivid Visions wie ein audiovisueller Film an: atmosphärisch, cineastisch und voller Persönlichkeit. Es ist eine Feier des Indie-Raps gestern, heute und morgen, zusammengeführt von einem der kreativsten Produzenten der Szene.

Indian Summer of Love finds The Bongolian immersed in a new set of sounds and influences for a new Belle Epoch. It’s a musical landscape informed by the Sixties psychedelia of India via a Haight Ashbury happening.

It’s a kaleidoscopic vision that takes us from a 20th century Fin de Siècle and lands us in the here and now of the 21st Century. It’s for dancers, for seekers and is all underscored by The Bongolian’s trademark heavy rhythms and breaks. It’s another fine instalment of essential cuts for the dancefloor and for high fidelity listening, quality is guaranteed.

From the East to the West, welcome to the Indian Summer of Love. Nasser Bouzida performs drums, percussion, guitars and keys whilst the album features several new flavours to the Bongolian sound with the prominent instrumentation of sitars and bansuri, along with flute, trumpet, saxophone and trombone performances from several stellular international guest musicians.

A Milan-born multi-instrumentalist of Venetian heritage, Alberto Baldan Bembo was a gifted vibraphonist, organist, pianist, arranger, and composer whose work bridged jazz, pop, and film music. By the early 1960s, he was performing with Italy’s leading ensembles, including I Menestrelli del Jazz and Bruno De Filippi’s group, and soon became an in-demand session musician. For several years, he toured with the legendary Mina, providing the piano and organ backbone to her live shows—a role that sharpened the cinematic sensibility and refined musicianship that would later define his soundtrack work. In the years to come, he would be celebrated for his scores to films such as L’Amica Di Mia Madre (1975) and Lingua Argento (1976), earning a place alongside Piero Umiliani, Alessandro Alessandroni, Berto Pisano, and other luminaries of Italy’s golden age of soundtrack and library music.

Io E Mara is the soundtrack to a film that was never made. Originally released on the CGD label in 1969, this debut album from the brilliant Maestro Baldan Bembo is a sophisticated concept-album tracing 24 hours in the life of two young lovers. Told entirely through music, the record unfolds as a continuous suite of ten tracks, where cinematic lounge, bossa, and jazz flavors mingle to create a dreamlike atmosphere. Baldan Bembo’s signature piano and organ are masterfully complemented by Mara’s ethereal vocals, while immersive soundscapes of crashing waves, seagulls, and rain showers enhance the feeling of a deeply personal and intimate journey. A cast of exceptional musicians brings this vision to life, including Bruno De Filippi on electric guitar and sitar, Carlo Milano on electric bass, Rolando Ceragioli on drums, and Pasquale Liguori on sound effects. This singular work not only showcases the burgeoning talent of a future soundtrack master but also features the original pop art front cover by Italian cult illustrator Guido Crepax.

Seit mehr als drei Jahrzehnten befindet sich AFI in einem nahezu ständigen Prozess der Neuerfindung. Die Band hat es sich zum Ziel gesetzt, sich mit jedem Album weiterzuentwickeln - manchmal sogar dramatisch - und sich niemals zu sehr in einem Genre einzurichten oder sich auf ihren beeindruckenden Erfolgen auszuruhen. Dieser Ansatz hat ihr Publikum vergrößert, aber auch herausgefordert mit einer klanglichen Identität, die sich in wilde, unerwartete Richtungen entwickeln kann. Mit ihrem zwölften Album ,Silver Bleeds the Black Sun_" stehen AFI erneut am Anfang eines mutigen neuen Kapitels, nur dass sie es diesmal geschafft haben, sich selbst zu überraschen. Wie kann eine Band, die dafür bekannt ist, sich ständig zu verändern, noch etwas Neues bieten? Mit ihrem zwölften Album ,Silver Bleeds the Black Sun_" stehen AFI nun erneut am Beginn eines mutigen neuen Kapitels, nur dass sie es diesmal sogar geschafft haben, sich selbst zu überraschen. Wie schafft es eine Band, die für kreative Umbrüche bekannt ist, immer wieder Wege zu finden, sich selbst aus ihrer Komfortzone herauszuziehen? Typischerweise begann die Band mit dem Schreiben eines Albums, indem sie sich sofort in das Schreiben stürzte und den kreativen Prozess einfach ihrer intuitiven musikalischen Sprache überließ. Für ,Silver Bleeds the Black Sun_" jedoch haben AFI sich bewusst dazu entschlossen, ihren kreativen Ansatz komplett zu ändern. Normalerweise beginnt die Band ein Album, indem sie sich sofort in das Schreiben stürzt und sich einfach von ihrer intuitiven musikalischen Sprache leiten lässt. Für ,Silver Bleeds the Black Sun_" haben AFI jedoch beschlossen, ihren kreativen Ansatz bewusst komplett zu ändern. Diesmal begann alles mit einer Frage: Wie könnten sie neue Wege beschreiten? Der Schlüssel zum Fortschritt lag letztendlich in der gemeinsamen Vergangenheit von AFI. ,Wir haben mit etwas angefangen, das nach Echo & the Bunnymen klang", erklärt Gitarrist Jade Puget, der das Album produziert und aufgenommen hat. ,Aber schließlich sind wir bei dieser Mischung aus Death Rock und Postpunk gelandet - all diese Einflüsse aus den 80ern und 90ern." ,Wir begannen mit etwas, das wie Echo & the Bunnymen klang", erklärt Gitarrist Jade Puget, der das Album produzierte und abmischte. ,Aber schließlich landeten wir bei dieser Mischung aus Death Rock und Postpunk - all diesen Einflüssen aus den späten 70ern und frühen 80ern, mit denen wir aufgewachsen sind, wie Sisters of Mercy, Bauhaus und Siouxsie and the Banshees." Das Ziel war es, ein Album mit einer einzigartigen Stimmung zu schaffen, etwas Verträumtes und Ätherisches, und die Bandmitglieder tauchten kopfüber in Einflüsse ein, die schon immer tief in der Musik von AFI verwurzelt waren, jetzt aber in den Vordergrund rückten. Silver Bleeds the Black Sun_ ist düster und jenseitig, aber auch grandios und würdevoll, bissig und schön zugleich - mit anderen Worten: Es ist sehr AFI, aber doch anders als alles, was man bisher von der Band gehört hat.

Seit mehr als drei Jahrzehnten befindet sich AFI in einem nahezu ständigen Prozess der Neuerfindung. Die Band hat es sich zum Ziel gesetzt, sich mit jedem Album weiterzuentwickeln - manchmal sogar dramatisch - und sich niemals zu sehr in einem Genre einzurichten oder sich auf ihren beeindruckenden Erfolgen auszuruhen. Dieser Ansatz hat ihr Publikum vergrößert, aber auch herausgefordert mit einer klanglichen Identität, die sich in wilde, unerwartete Richtungen entwickeln kann. Mit ihrem zwölften Album ,Silver Bleeds the Black Sun_" stehen AFI erneut am Anfang eines mutigen neuen Kapitels, nur dass sie es diesmal geschafft haben, sich selbst zu überraschen. Wie kann eine Band, die dafür bekannt ist, sich ständig zu verändern, noch etwas Neues bieten? Mit ihrem zwölften Album ,Silver Bleeds the Black Sun_" stehen AFI nun erneut am Beginn eines mutigen neuen Kapitels, nur dass sie es diesmal sogar geschafft haben, sich selbst zu überraschen. Wie schafft es eine Band, die für kreative Umbrüche bekannt ist, immer wieder Wege zu finden, sich selbst aus ihrer Komfortzone herauszuziehen? Typischerweise begann die Band mit dem Schreiben eines Albums, indem sie sich sofort in das Schreiben stürzte und den kreativen Prozess einfach ihrer intuitiven musikalischen Sprache überließ. Für ,Silver Bleeds the Black Sun_" jedoch haben AFI sich bewusst dazu entschlossen, ihren kreativen Ansatz komplett zu ändern. Normalerweise beginnt die Band ein Album, indem sie sich sofort in das Schreiben stürzt und sich einfach von ihrer intuitiven musikalischen Sprache leiten lässt. Für ,Silver Bleeds the Black Sun_" haben AFI jedoch beschlossen, ihren kreativen Ansatz bewusst komplett zu ändern. Diesmal begann alles mit einer Frage: Wie könnten sie neue Wege beschreiten? Der Schlüssel zum Fortschritt lag letztendlich in der gemeinsamen Vergangenheit von AFI. ,Wir haben mit etwas angefangen, das nach Echo & the Bunnymen klang", erklärt Gitarrist Jade Puget, der das Album produziert und aufgenommen hat. ,Aber schließlich sind wir bei dieser Mischung aus Death Rock und Postpunk gelandet - all diese Einflüsse aus den 80ern und 90ern." ,Wir begannen mit etwas, das wie Echo & the Bunnymen klang", erklärt Gitarrist Jade Puget, der das Album produzierte und abmischte. ,Aber schließlich landeten wir bei dieser Mischung aus Death Rock und Postpunk - all diesen Einflüssen aus den späten 70ern und frühen 80ern, mit denen wir aufgewachsen sind, wie Sisters of Mercy, Bauhaus und Siouxsie and the Banshees." Das Ziel war es, ein Album mit einer einzigartigen Stimmung zu schaffen, etwas Verträumtes und Ätherisches, und die Bandmitglieder tauchten kopfüber in Einflüsse ein, die schon immer tief in der Musik von AFI verwurzelt waren, jetzt aber in den Vordergrund rückten. Silver Bleeds the Black Sun_ ist düster und jenseitig, aber auch grandios und würdevoll, bissig und schön zugleich - mit anderen Worten: Es ist sehr AFI, aber doch anders als alles, was man bisher von der Band gehört hat.

“Solange’s 2008 critically-lauded album was hersecond, but the first where she stretched out andshowed the vision and creativity that fans havecome to expect. This Motown-influenced albumdebuted #9 on the Billboard Top 200 and featuresproduction by Pharrell Williams, Mark Ronson,Thievery Corporation, Bilal and others.” - MusicWorld Entertainment
‘Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams’ is nowavailable on black vinyl.

Carrboro, NC’s inimitable synthesizer duo MARV follow up their well-received 2021 opus Keyboard Suite I with a second volume co-released by enmossed and Softer Recordings. As a (regrettably) posthumous release, Keyboard Suite II documents MARV in their fully matured state with melodies that eschew easy categorization and a much-expanded studio effects and processing palette. But the same dreamy languidity marking their previous releases remains, drawing us into their visions of a summer day spent in the shade, by a babbling creek. As a storm approaches from the distance - keyboards saturated by tape into distortion, bursts of noise from idiosyncratic electronics, aleatoric stuttering - MARV grants us an album’s worth of sonic sublimation.

Vinyl AudiophilAls Pavlov's Dog im vergangenen Jahr die Veröffentlichung des karriereübergreifenden Boxsets Essential Recordings 1974 - 2018 feierten, arbeitete die Band bereits hart an einem neuen Album mit Originalmaterial. Dieses Album, genannt Wonderlust, ist 2025 erschienen. Und das ein halbes Jahrhundert, nachdem ihre Debüt-LP Pampered Menial und der darauf enthaltene Hit „Julia“ Pavlov's Dog kurzzeitig zu den Lieblingen der Progressive-Rock-Szene der 1970er Jahre machte. Das neue Album ist ein äußerst kreatives Werk mit Songs, die auf intelligentem Songwriting, erstklassiger Musikalität und einem untrüglichen Gespür für das Dramatische aufbauen, das den Sound der Band über all die Jahre geprägt hat.

Pavlov‘s Dog wurde Anfang der 1970er Jahre in St. Louis, Missouri, gegründet und erlangte mit seiner einzigartigen Mischung aus Rock, Klassik und Folk Kultstatus. Ihr damaliger Erfolg war jedoch nur von kurzer Dauer: Bereits 1977 löste sich die Originalbesetzung auf. Leadsänger, Gitarrist und Hauptkomponist David Surkamp machte weiter und schloss sich 1990 mit seinem Gründungsmitglied Doug Rayburn zusammen, um das Album Lost in America aufzunehmen. Doch das zweite Kapitel in der Karriere von Pavlov Dog kam erst nach der Jahrtausendwende so richtig in Schwung, als eine talentierte Gruppe von Musikern der nächsten Generation das Erbe weiterführte. Unter der Leitung von Surkamp hat sich die Band in den letzten Jahren weiterentwickelt. Eine neue Welle des Interesses an Prog-Rock ermöglicht es ihr, regelmäßig zu touren. Die aktuelle Besetzung hat die ursprüngliche Version von Pavlov's Dog in puncto Langlebigkeit inzwischen weit übertroffen: Sängerin Sara Surkamp, Geigerin Abbie Steiling, Bassist Rick Steiling und Keyboarder Mark Maher bilden zusammen mit dem Gründer David Surkamp seit sieben Jahren den Kern der Band.

Bereits auf dem gefeierten Album Prodigal Dreamer aus dem Jahr 2018 vertreten, beweist dieses erfahrene Team von Musikern – mit Unterstützung von u.a. Schlagzeuger Steve Bunck und Gitarristen Phil Ring – nun auf Wonderlust einmal mehr sein Können. Schon beim ersten Hören sind die große Tiefe, Reife und Vision der elf Tracks spürbar. Einige Songs, wie der Opener „Anyway There's Snow“, bei dem Abbie Steilings wunderschöne Geige im Vordergrund steht, glänzen durch große Dramatik. Das von Streichern durchtränkte „Another Blood Moon“ ist ein weiteres Beispiel der für Pavlov’s Dog typischen, musikalischen Melancholie. Auf einem Album voller eindringlicher Gesangsperformances erreicht Surkamp hier wohl seinen Höhepunkt.

Dennoch sollte man nicht vergessen, dass Pavlov's Dog in erster Linie eine Rockband ist. Stücke wie das treibende „Mona“ und das knallharte „Collingwood Hotel“ treffen ins Schwarze. „Jet Black Cadillac“ klingt wie der Titel einer klassischen Rock'n'Roll-Nummer, doch der Song beginnt wehmütig. (Seien wir ehrlich: Pavlov's Dog klingt fast immer zumindest ein bisschen wehmütig.) Doch sobald der titelgebende Cadillac im Refrain auftaucht, erhebt sich der Song und das Traumauto fungiert als Mittel zur Flucht vor dem Blues. Hinzu kommen der freche Charme von „Solid Water, Liquid Sky“ und die Hardrock-Anleihen von „Can't Stop The Hurt“.

Besonders langjährige Fans, die mehr von dem wollen, was typischerweise „Prog“ ausmacht, können sich über die zweite Hälfte des Albums freuen. Auf dem von Abbie Steiling geschriebenen, instrumentalen Prunkstück „Calling Sigfried“ entfesselt die Band kurzerhand ihre gesamte musikalische Brillanz. Das Album schließt mit einem Trio von Songs, die Surkamp gemeinsam mit seinem früheren Songwriting-Partner, dem inzwischen verstorbenen Doug Rayburn, geschrieben hat. Von diesen verströmt vor allem „Canadian Rain” die abenteuerlichen Vibes des Progressive Rock der 1970er-Jahre mit zahlreichen Tempowechseln und einem elektrischen Slap-Bass-Solo wie aus heiterem Himmel.

Auf Wonderlust klingen Pavlov's Dog wie die Veteranen, die sie sind; diese Musiker sind schon lange genug dabei, um zu wissen, was sie tun. Doch gleichzeitig beweisen sie, dass ihre kreative Quelle immer noch sprudelt. Das langersehnte Wonderlust ist ein Album voller geschickt eingespielter, vollständig realisierter Rockmusik, bei dem Surkamp zeigt, dass er stimmlich keineswegs nachgelassen hat und, dass ein alter Hund doch ein paar neue Tricks lernen kann.

Gute Musik wie diese wird nie aus der Mode kommen.